Crimson Smoke
by Mint Arden
Summary: SPOILER WARNING: Can contain infomation up to the most recent Naruto episodes. ASUMAxKURENAI. Should fit somewhat into the original story.
1. Chapter One

Notes from Author: Right, since this is a FANFIC site, strictly, I don't have to put any disclaimer because it's obvious that I did not create or take part in creating any aspect of Naruto. Also, I'm a girl, and this is mostly from Asuma's POV. So if he thinks, acts, and sounds like a girl... I'm sorry. But I'm trying! .. grunts Also also, if you haven't, check out my other, older story, The Scarecrow and the Bell. It's KAKAxSUZU, an original character romance.  
  
Konoha had seen the bright, warm summer and watched as it fleeted away, bringing forth the rains of autumn. The lush, green leaves began turning to vibrant golds, reds and purples, igniting the trees with their fiery spirits. As new students full of hopes and dreams arrived at the Ninja Academy to train to become Genin, a few more advanced students had just been promoted to Jounin after many grueling and intensive tests. Proud, tired and sore all over, the crowds of new Jounin picked up their belongings to head home and have a well-desired rest.  
  
Sarutobi Asuma stood outside on the academy deck, watching the torrential rains come pouring down, a cigarette hanging delicately from his lips. He took the cig from his mouth between his ring and middle finger, breathing out a cloud of grey smoke, and brought it back to his face, most of his fingers covering over his mouth while one touched gently to the tip of his nose. It was a comforting gesture to a heavy smoker such as himself. He stood and watched and smoked, while weary shinobi exited the building from the double doors to his right. Asuma focused on the rain, listening intently to the hissing song. He was listening so intently he did not hear a comment come from his right until it was repeated with a light cough. Such was meditation. He looked over his shoulder at a woman with startling red eyes and long, black, wavy hair. Asuma recognized her and nodded.  
  
"Yes, it is raining hard," he said flatly, looking out again. His gaze returned to her. "I hear you're a Jounin now. Congratulations, Kurenai."  
  
"Many thanks. I should be going now. Good bye, Asuma," she replied. Kurenai left the covered area beside the building, opening up an umbrella and walking home.  
  
Asuma stood awhile longer, his cigarette burned to the filter. He could no longer hear the steady hissing of the rain. He was in deep thought, wondering why he had never spoken to that woman casually before. It was only for a moment, though, and he snubbed out his smoke and flicked the butt away.  
  
Bells rang as Asuma left the shop, tucking away his new pack of smokes into the pouch on the back of his right hip. He walked out onto the sidewalk and past the building, his hands in his pockets. While bowing his head to light up another cigarette, someone walked straight into him, causing him to drop the lighter and startle the heck out of him. He managed to catch the body, but the bag of groceries was knocked to the ground and the contents scattered. With his arms wrapped around the person, he looked down at a head full of black, wavy hair. It was a woman. He began to feel quite uncomfortable. She looked up at him and two large, red eyes stared at him in embarrassment.  
  
"K-Kurenai," stammered Asuma, his mouth gaping open. She flushed so deeply that even he grew a bit red in the cheeks. It made her look childlike and innocent, with her dark hair curling around and framing her face. Like a picture, he thought.  
  
"Asuma! I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there. I, well, I was just, umm... will you... let me go?" she glanced down at his arms, still holding her in a tight embrace. It was then when he realized how close they were to each other.  
  
"Oh! Right!" He let go of her quickly and stepped back a few paces. Kurenai began to quickly gather up all her groceries. Asuma knelt down and collected up the oranges, picking up one before it rolled out onto the road and under the hoof of a work bull.  
  
"So," he started. "Just out on regular errands?" They had gathered up everything rather quickly and Kurenai was clutching the bag tightly to her chest.  
  
"Yeah. I-I have to go. Bye!" Kurenai waved and walked away from Asuma briskly, without looking back.  
  
"Bye?" Asuma just shook his head in confusion and pulled out his pack of smokes. He shook out one and took it up in his lips and looked around for his lighter. He patted all his pockets and searched around on the ground, yet he couldn't spot it. At that moment, Kurenai sped home quickly, the lighter she had hastily thrown in her bag mingling with the fruits and vegetables. 


	2. Chapter Two

Notes from Author: Well, here we are again. The second installment. Yes, they are short, though I'll try and aim around 1000 words. " Makes it easier to read in small chunks, I think, and I can update quicker. This story isn't going to be that long though. .."" And sorry, sorry, sorry, SORRY for taking so long. ;; Finals are finally over!!  
  
"What am I doing here?" Asuma asked himself. He was standing at the door of an apartment in one of those trendy new buildings that seemed to be popping up here and there. The walls inside were a bleached white, a discomfort to the eye that is used to the soft creams and natural woody colours of the outside of buildings. Weathered down to a fine sandy colour on most of the older ones. He fiddled with an unlit cigarette in his fingers. The door stood unmoving in front of him, 206 painted in a solid red at head level. Asuma raised his hand and knocked his knuckles right on the 0. He waited calmly. The sound of light footsteps approached the door and the handle rattled as it opened. Kurenai, dressed in a T-shirt and shorts, stood in the doorway holding a certain lighter in her hand.  
  
"Ah, I figured it was you. I must've picked this up yesterday when we bumped into each other," she said as she handed the lighter back to him. "I was planning on returning it during the next mission assigning, but it seems you beat me to it." A slight smile touched her features. An apologetic smile, nothing more.  
  
Asuma lit up the smoke and took a puff, nodding while Kurenai spoke. "It was my dad's."  
  
"What?" Kurenai had stepped out onto the landing and shut the door behind her. She was barefoot and looked remarkably different when not wearing her usual outfit. With no forehead protector on, her hair fell over her strange eyes, shrouding her intense gaze. Though wearing a plain shirt and shorts, the curves of her body were still quite evident. A definite sex appeal could not be denied to her and yet she was often over looked by many. Probably because of the serious expression set onto her face at all times or her business like bearing.  
  
"The lighter. It was my dad's." He turned it over in his hand. It was a butane lighter with a snapping lid, a smooth silver piece, warm to the touch after recent use. "That's why I came to get it." He pocketed it and took the cigarette in his hand.  
  
"Oh, right." There was a moment of stilled silence, the two Jounin standing on the landing and staring at the floor. Kurenai finally spoke up again. "I hear we're getting Genin students this spring."  
  
Asuma nodded again and looked up at the ceiling for a different view if not as a subconscious eye movement when recalling an event. "Groups of three, like usual. We train them into soldiers and prepare them for the Chuunin exam if we deem them good enough. It's not bad work," he replied. The end of his cigarette never had a stack of ash on the end. It was if it all burned away completely. She wondered what brand he bought.  
  
"That's good to hear. I haven't had any experience as a teacher before. What can you tell me about it?" Kurenai leaned with her back against the wall with her hands tucked behind her back next to Asuma and listened to him describe past students, events and anecdotes from life as a Jounin. He would scratch at his beard every now and then, or rub his chin while trying to remember something and she would nod at all the correct places and ask questions and comment on his stories (the proper aizuchi, of course). The mood relaxed greatly with the new conversation and they were soon laughing openly.  
  
"What time is it? I was supposed to meet Anko at this restaurant she wanted to show me. I better get ready and go. Well, I'll see you around, Asuma," said Kurenai as she went back into her apartment with a quick wave. Asuma waved back and began to leave. Not a man to rush himself, he stayed on the landing, sitting on the stairs, to finish his cigarette. When Kurenai did leave to meet with her friend, she noticed that the landing still smelled of smoke.  
  
The lounge was busy with shinobi of all ranks filling in and out, stopping for a quick conversation or to sit and have a break. The large black oak piano sat unplayed, its ivory keys beckoning passers by to sit and let it sing as it used to. Asuma slid a finger over the propped up cover, a line of brightly polished black shining though the dust. He could remember a time when it was played. It seemed so long ago. A trio of obnoxious Chuunin behind him tore his thoughts from him. Asuma turned to sit on the piano chair and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his legs. He blew a puff of smoke to his knees and listened in on the conversation.  
  
The three stood around in a small circle in a corner, their voices cutting through everyone else's in the room and their arms waving about wildly with little consideration of those around them. "Hey, hey dude! She's hot, yeah, but who do you think has the biggest," he stopped and gestured by cupping his hands in front of his chest. The others burst into fits of laughter. "So like, I think it would be Miyoko."  
  
"No, no. Definitely Anko. She's got the goods. Ha ha ha!"  
  
"Yeah, she's not bad, but what about that other one that's always with her? I forget her name..."  
  
"Oh dude! Yeah! The bitchy one that yelled at us... she'd look bigger if she just wore less, you know, clothes. Heh heh."  
  
"What a cow, huh? But I'd sure like to get a hold of 'them', eh? Huah hah hah!"  
  
"Right! It was, ummm, Kurenai! That's it! Urk!" The Chuunin gasped in horror at Asuma who now stood before them, a tight grip on the neck of the Chuunin's vest. "Uhh... can I help you?" said the lesser ninja indignantly, attempting at sounding tough. The look on the Jounin's face silenced them all.  
  
"What's so funny guys?" asked Asuma, puffing smoke into the captured ninja's face. "You think it's alright to say those things about you're superiors and get away with it, eh?" His grip tightened on the vest.  
  
"No, no, man! We were just kidding around, you know?" The Chuunin laughed nervously while sweat beaded down from his face.  
  
Asuma turned to the other two and dropped their friend. "I suggest you three all start shaping up. Next time I hear you talking about anyone like that, you may not live to regret it." His voice was low and gravelly and his fist was balled up so tight that his large knuckles turned a sickly white. He wasn't sure why he was reacting as such, himself. The anger that was boiling out of him has sprung up seemingly out of nowhere.  
  
The two pulled up their friend who had discovered that his weak knees would not support his weight anymore. "We'll just be going now. Ahah ha." A guilty conscious followed them as they somehow they managed to escape out through the milling people and shuffled away down the hall. 


	3. Chapter Three

Notes from Author: Yes! The 3rd installment. Let's get the romance rolling! X3 Asuma is a hard character to get to know well. Trying to touch on his personal life and thoughts is something I'm finding quite difficult. I try to imagine everything as if it were in the anime, and if it doesn't seem right, I scrap it. Of course I have to manipulate the characters enough to make a totally different and new story, though. Blarg! (It's a tiny chapter again... nuuuu!)  
  
Winter had seeped its way into Konoha, the rainy autumn receding and leaving behind blustery, nippy days. Snow was not common in the Fire Country, but harsh, destructive winds came around every year, the people ready with shuddered up windows and thick windbreakers over their shoulders. Hanging signs from storefronts, flags of all kinds, and loose possessions were removed or picked up and stored away safely inside. Classes and businesses were even often cancelled due to the unruly winds. The wind was heaving especially hard one night, rattling the windows on the house of Sarutobi. A man lay awake in his bed, too warm and kept awake not only from the noisy windowpanes but from his own whirling mind. The central heating was on and made the house stuffy. Asuma rose out of bed and opened a window letting in a great, freezing gust.  
  
"Whoa!" he cried as he slammed the window shut. He was chilled and lay back under the warmed covers, rubbing away the goosebumps. "Can't sleep," he murmured to himself as he closed his eyes and curled up. It wasn't long before he felt stifled again and was lying sprawled on top of the sheets. He couldn't get his mind to shut down for the night. Certain events, experiences and memories were playing over and over with the same person. Asuma sighed deeply and spoke the name of the one who plagued his mind. "Kurenai."  
  
That ceiling is mighty boring, thought Asuma. He had lit a cigarette and had given up on sleep for the night. Laying flat on his back on his bed he talked aloud to himself over the howling winds. "I'm like a damn kid, for crying out loud... women are far too much trouble." And so he lay, allowing the scenes to play over in his mind while he finished his cigg and hoped that tomorrow he would be far more distracted.  
  
Anko and Kurenai sat outside in the Academy gardens, admiring the hardy winter flowers that dared bloom. The wind had died down for the day and the streets and parks were filled with people glad to be outside again and have a breath of fresh air. The Jounin had prepared bento boxes for each other to trade. Both women remembered doing such things while they were still young girls and thought it would be quite fun to try it again. They sat and gossiped as they would have years ago, giggling to themselves. They were acting completely differently than normal but such escapism from their professions was craved for. Anko sat across from Kurenai at a table while the strange eyed one had her back to a tall row of bushes. On the other side of those same bushes sat Asuma, outside to have his usual smoke (though that's not to say that he had qualms about smoking inside). He hadn't noticed the two over the fence until their laughs had escalated. He has also thought he heard his name.  
  
Stay away from this, he thought wisely to himself. But Anko wasn't exactly keeping her voice down anymore.  
  
"So! Kure-chan. I've been seeing you around with that guy kinda often. Care to indulge me? Hmmm?" laughed Anko, eating a bite of rice with pink dried salmon and flakes of nori sprinkled on.  
  
Asuma sat in the utmost silence.  
  
"Oh." There was a pause. "Yes, you could say that." A tiny laugh.  
  
"'Yes, you could say that,'" mocked Anko in the quiet, shy voice of Kurenai's response. "Well? Is there anything going on between you two, or what?"  
  
Another pause.  
  
Anko sniffed. "Well, then would you consider going on a date with him?"  
  
Yet another pause, but not quite as long. "I don't know?"  
  
"You really are hard to talk to, you know that? Would you, or would you not?" Anko was having a great time teasing her friend. "I mean, it's not like he's bad looking."  
  
"Well, I guess he's just not my type. I mean, he's a good guy and all. But..."  
  
It was too late to back out. Anko had an odd streak of terrorizing people in her. "So he's a 'no-go'. Fine. If you don't snatch him up, maybe I will?"  
  
Another pause, only tense.  
  
"Hey, don't let me stop you. I'm not interested after all, right?" replied Kurenai at last.  
  
At this point Asuma snuffed out his cigarette and left. 


	4. Chapter Four

Notes from Author: Okay, no excuses. I'm just lazy. -.- And I hate how it gets all crazy when you upload a document. o.o"  
  
Spring came bounding into Konoha, banishing the cold winds of winter and its like. Flowers sprouted up everywhere and blossomed, an explosion of bright colours to celebrate the coming of a finer season. At the Ninja Academy a fresh year for the newly advanced Genin was commencing. Those that passed their Jounin teacher's initial tests were now beginning new training and taking on low rank missions. Sarutobi Asuma had his team of three students: Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji. Getting the three to work together and understand the concepts of the three-man team was proving difficult. Ino self-proclaimed herself the leader early on, while Shikamaru, who showed great potential, would rather sit and watch the clouds than be a ninja, and of course Chouji was more interesting in eating than anything else (though that proved to be great motivation). And thus with his students and missions, Asuma found himself swamped with work and his mind blissfully busy with shinobi thoughts than with women. Or one woman, that is.  
  
Asuma was on his way home after a day of training with his team, exhausted from the squabbling between the students. They were shaping up slowly, but much more work was needed to be done for them to become functional. He made a mental note about the shogi game with Shikamaru the next morning. The kid was astounding... "Whoa there!"  
  
Someone had collided into him from behind. He looked down and saw a head full of wavy black hair. It was a woman. Asuma froze for a moment and could feel himself go incredibly red in the face. Oh no, it's Kurenai again, he thought. He had never felt comfortable around her after hearing her conversation with Anko. Actually, he didn't feel to comfortable around Anko now either. He had done a decent job of avoiding her outside of the academy until now. Asuma expected two large, red, piercing eyes to find his and for an awkward moment to follow, but instead he got two large, black eyes and an angry snarl.  
  
"Hey jerk! Watch it! You nearly got my ice cream all over my nice shirt!" grumbled the woman who was delicately holding a cone in her right hand. She looked remarkably like Kurenai. Her frame, her hair, her facial features... but it wasn't quite Kurenai all the same. Asuma blinked a few times in confusion and tried to get, 'Hey! You were the one that walked into me!' out of his mouth.  
  
Instead came, "W-would you go on a date with me?" He nearly died inside after saying those words. Was he insane?  
  
The woman's face brightened up at the question. "Do you always ask strangers that you walk into out like this? Or was that your plan to begin with?" she smiled smugly. "I'm Atsui Mirue, by the way. Pick me up here tomorrow at eight?"  
  
"Uh... I'm Sarutobi Asuma. O-okay... eight. Here. Right," he stammered. Asuma rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. This wasn't exactly what was planned.  
  
"Okay! Later!" and Mirue departed with a suggestive lick of her ice cream and a wink.  
  
Asuma stood there as his cigarette fell from his mouth, unsure of what had just happened. It seemed so surreal. A quick run home was in order.  
  
A man walked home, his shirt soaked and his spirits dampened. Asuma had NOT had a good date with the strange girl on the street that "he had bumped into" the other day. In fact, the whole night seemed a blur of bad events. And his good shirt now stank of bad vodka.  
  
"What a nutty woman," he said aloud to himself. "No," he corrected. "What a crazy bitch." Asuma sighed and headed down the street. He had hoped that dating someone would be good for him. Instead tonight turned out to be a late arrival, screaming, too long a walk to the restaurant, screaming, bad food, screaming, a night club in the "bad" part of town, screaming and finally two drinks thrown on him with a finale of more screaming. His head was pounding. And he felt ripped off. He was usually pretty smooth with the ladies and he wanted a nice, cute girl who he could have a few good times with. He got a she-devil who was in a shoddy Kurenai disguise. Ah, it was the Kurenai aspect that made him ask the girl out in the first place, he realized. And that proved to be a whole lot scarier to him than the prospect of a whole week of dates with Mirue. Then again, she did ask him to quit smoking...  
  
Working with his students progressed steadily and he was busy once more and his mind occupied. Some nights he would be reminded of the woman with red eyes, but he was doing a good job, he thought. Asuma also finally admitted to being totally infatuated with her. There was no use denying it anymore. And because if he didn't, he wouldn't be able to do anything about it... and something had to be done. Whenever he thought of her he went temporarily insane, he guessed. That would explain Mirue, anyway.  
  
The Chuunin exam had crept up on the three Jounin teachers and Genin. At the explanatory meeting the Hokage announced the arrival of the exam and asked for all Jounin with students whom they wish to take part in the exam to come forward now. Asuma took his turn first, knowing that Shikamaru, Ino and Chouji were finally ready. Kurenai was there as well and swore in her three Genin: Hinata, Kiba and Shino. Kakashi had also sworn in his students, surprisingly. The first Genin he had ever passed supposedly. A Chuunin, by the name of Iruka, had caused a slight stir, saying that Naruto, one of Kakashi's students, was not ready for the test. While he was interfering, Asuma stood and watched with his cigarette burning away. How annoying, he thought. Kakashi simply stated that they were no longer Iruka's students, but now his soldiers. It was put into perfect words. It was quite a meeting altogether, having all three Jounin send all their of their own Genin into the first exam. Special times were upon them. 


End file.
